This Modern Love
by Middendorffi
Summary: "Come to New Orleans." He pleads. I ignore him. "What are you afraid of?" I spin around on my heels. I think about the bracelet I got from him, the dress. The drawing. About the amount of times he's almost killed my best friends. About how easy everything comes with him, how alike we are. "You! I'm afraid of you." AU Starting from 4.21/Lemony/Kink/Klaroline
1. Chapter 1- This Modern Love

**I. This Modern Love**

_What are you holding out for?_

_What's always in the way?_

_Why so damn absent minded?_

_Why so scared of romance?_

_This modern love breaks me_

_This modern love wastes me_

"The truth is, I've tried to stop thinking about you, but I can't." My heart squishes itself together in my chest, and it's painful and I want to cry. I let out a frustrated sigh. _Why does every word he say have to be so perfect?_ I shake my head and press my fingers to my head, walking away from him. He doesn't let me get very far. "Come to New Orleans." He pleads. I ignore him. "What are you afraid of?" I spin around on my heels. I think about the bracelet I got from him, the dress. The drawing. About the amount of times he's almost killed my best friends. About how easy everything comes with him, how alike we are.

"You! I'm afraid of you." He frowns.

"Wouldn't it be more accurate to say you're afraid of yourself?" He counters, sauntering forward. "Your darkest desires," He continues. _Too close._ "Elena was right, wasn't she? Deep down, you _long_ to have your perfect feathers ruffled." I can feel his breath on my face. _Wayyy too close._

I swallow involuntarily.

I laugh nervously, taking a step backwards. "Have you been drinking crazy juice?" He steps forward. I step back. "I-I don't know where you've been getting your info from, but you're _wrong_." A smile breaks out on Klaus's face. "Oh?" He laughs, striding forward again. I mirror his action automatically and my back bumps up against a tree. He's inches away from my face and his eyes flick down to my mouth before coming back up to meet my eyes. "Maybe not so deep down then?" He purrs. My stomach clenches uncomfortably and I feel like I'm going to pass out. _Shit._ He leans forward slightly and I try desperately to think of some way to avoid this freaking rabbit hole. _He's going to kiss me._

"Fine!" I hear myself say, "I mean, I'll go. _Temporarily._" His head jerks back in surprise and his eyes are wide. "But **not** for you, things have been cuckoo bananas around here. I could use a vacation. An all-expenses _paid_ vacation." I put my hands on my hips and narrow my eyes at him. _Are you crazy, Caroline Forbes? You're supposed to get out of the hole, not swan dive into it!_ Things _have_ been nuts here, and I _could_ use a vacation though…

Klaus grins and backs off. He points his finger at me, "Oh ho ho, my sweet, _sweet_ Caroline, you never cease to amaze me." He simply stares for a moment, and against my will, I feel a little welling of pride at his statement. He clasps his hands together and his face goes serious. He adjusts his cuffs. _He looks like he's striking up a deal._ "Very well then," He says cheerily, "you will get an all-expenses paid vacation, courtesy of _yours truly."_ He takes a little bow. "This vacation will be, with me, to New Orleans, where you will stay, for a month."

_Oh my god, is he serious? A month? I do have a life._ "_No_." I reply, crossing my arms. I step forward. "What _is_ going to happen is you are taking me, to New Orleans for _two _weeks," I hold up two fingers and pause. "_And_ we sleep in separate rooms." I'm proud of myself for adding that last part. It was dangerously missing before. My finger pokes him in the chest. _It's like stone._ I think of the tattoo that rests along his left shoulder. It's a beautiful, artistic tattoo, a feather morphing into a flock of birds, simple, but beautiful artwork. He's built like a sculpture himself, lithe and strong…

In moments like this, the most annoying part of being a vampire is my libido. A very short lifetime of pinning over men who didn't want me has left that desiring part of me heightened. I feel it all the time, no matter how important other things are, or how twisted the cravings get… And whenever Klaus is around, it seems to take away my ability to think. _Curbing blood thirst is easier than this._ Sometimes it's easy to smother the feelings in bags of b positive.

A very Klaus-ey chuckle resonates through the forest and he takes one of my hands in his and brings it to his lips, placing a soft kiss upon it. I've learned that it's useless to reprimand him for his old school gentlemanly habits. Not only is it ingrained in him, despite how _un_-gentlemanly he really is, but he also knows it bothers me. "Whatever you say, love." The pad of his thumb strokes the top of my hand for a moment. It makes my veins ache. I frown at the feeling. "_Well_. I'd better go and make some calls." He lets go of my hand and walks backwards slowly. "I'll admit, Caroline, this was not the way I expected this to go. Not that I'm complaining." He turns around, "Oh, and no take backs, love." He calls over his shoulder. And just like that, he's gone. I may have imagined it, but he seemed to be bouncing a little.

As soon as he's left, I feel like the biggest idiot in the world. "No, no, NO!" I hit one of the trees in frustration, and have to yank my fist out of the dent I made in it. "God, how _stupid_ can you be?" I groan aloud at myself. Klaus Mikaelson is bad news, very bad news. He's done nothing but hurt everyone I care about, including me. _And oh, I've got a brilliant idea, why don't we go and munch on some crawfishermen in Louisiana!_ _Nice one, Care._

I walk quickly back and forth and then decide to start on my way home. _I'm not going to get anything done standing here_. I could use some fresh, non-Klaus tainted air. _What am I going to do? _I can't go, obviously. It'd be, like, the worst idea in the world and I can't even begin to explain the reasons why... I'm not even sure I can come up with them at all right now. My thoughts turn bitter as the unfairness of having to come up with reasons to avoid a vacation hits me. _Why am I the only one who never gets a day off?_ I'm always helping everyone, Tyler, Elena, Stefan. When is it going to be _my_ time?

I stop walking. _I'm not thinking straight._ This is an emergency, and I decide to call the one voice of reason I have left.

"What's up Caroline?"

"Oh thank god, Stefan. I did something really stupid."

"Is someone hurt?"

"No, it's just—see, the thing is—I, uh—" There's a crash of glass breaking.

"_Caroline_. I'm on Elena duty right now, and things aren't exactly a walk in the park." I hear shouting in the background. "If something is wrong you need to tell me, so I can help. Now what—ELENA! Fuck, _here_." I hear a shuffling noise and the sound fades.

"Stefan? Hello?"

"Hellooo, Vampire Barbie." _Damon. Ugh._

"Damon, what is going—"

"Not important—for _you_ to know anyway." _What the hell does Elena see in him?_ That's the one good thing about her humanity switch being off; she's not Damon crazy. She's not _anything_ crazy.

I sigh. "I need to talk to _Stefan_."

"Yeahh… Not going to happen. Luckily, I'm here. Now do you want help, or not?"

_It's better than nothing_. "Alright. So, I saw Klaus in the forest, and we started talking and—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let me stop you right there. Original boy troubles does not an emergency make, Blondie."

"I didn't _want_ to talk to you about it anyway! I just don't know what to do, and I'm panicking. I mean, I can't just _go_ to New Orleans with him, it's wrong on so many—"

"Hold on. He asked you to come with him?"

"Yes, but I—"

"_Go_."

"What? No—"

"Listen Blondie, we are falling behind on everything over here, shit has hit the fan, and the last thing we need is for Klaus to have some _plot_ we don't know about. Go with him to New Orleans, and find out what he's up to."

"But you're not _listening_—"

"Don't need to. That's the beauty of common sense. _And besides_, if you didn't _want_ to go with him, you just wouldn't go. You called, because you wanted an excuse from my dear baby brother to take the decision out of your hands. _I'm_ telling you, that you're going, and you're taking one for the team. Don't disappoint me, Barbie. You can thank me later." The line goes dead.

* * *

_I can't believe this is happening._ Elena got her humanity back, but she's on some Katherine hating murder spree, and I'm packing my bags. I haven't really wanted to talk to her, not yet. She's preoccupied with plans of revenge, anyhow. The morning after the phone call, Stefan called back to tell me he agreed with Damon. '_It makes sense, Caroline. We could really use a one up right now, on anything, and you're in the perfect position to do it. You guys are kind of friends anyway, right?_'

_Ha, friends._

Saying Klaus and I are like friends is like saying vampires and the sun are friends. I glance at my gaudy daylight ring and shake my head. _No, not like vampires and the sun, like…a lion and a deer._ There's no protection from him.

_As soon as he has his claws in me, I'm done for._

I shove more things into my suitcase and groan. _Just what have I gotten myself into?_

**AN: So, tell me what you think. Pretty please. Inspired by a feels overload at the 'end' of Klaroline. Smooth move, Julie. Holdin out hope against all odds. This is AU, fuck that it was Silas, it was Klaroline GOLD. Things will get a bit more _intense_ soon. Assuming this continues as planned.**


	2. Chapter 2- The Guessing Game

**II. The Guessing Game**

_On the journey to the center,_

_I asked what I was looking for._

_They said, "It's far too easy to explain:_

_It is what it is. You are what you are. Just try to enjoy your day"_

"Really? A private jet? This is a little obnoxious, Klaus, even for you." This is soo not what I was expecting. There was supposed to be tons of people, on a normal, commercial flight, so that I wasn't alone with _him_, with nothing to do, for three hours. "Calm yourself, Caroline." He says, taking one of my many bags and handing it to a man in uniform, speaking in some language I couldn't understand and then brushing his hands together. "There's nothing wrong with spending a little time together. We are, after all, going to be together for at least two weeks. Might as well get used to it, love." He's wearing his smug face. _Ugh_.

The quiet man in uniform takes the rest of my bags into some back compartment of the plane and says something to Klaus. He nods and claps his hands once. "That's it then, come aboard, Caroline, it seems we're ready to go." He holds a hand out to me. _Last chance._ If I go now, there's no turning back. _Maybe I've forgotten something, like my favorite earrings, or shoes. Or maybe my mind._

I ignore his hand and stride past him up the stairs, doing my best to not even look at him. Which is way freaking harder than it should be. I hear him laugh, and as I take one of the eight seats in the spacious compartment, I have the sinking feeling that this 'recon' vacation is going to be a lot more fun than it has any right to be.

To my surprise, Klaus does not sit right next to me; instead, he goes and sits by the door that leads to the cockpit, and pulls out his phone. I know I should be relieved, but it feels more annoying than if he had went and sat on my lap. He's calling someone, and I hear him greet, "Elijah!" before everything else is in that friggin language I don't know. He sees me watching him and winks, not even pausing in conversation. How is it that he manages to be infuriating in every way inhumanly possible?

I huff and get out my iPhone. I check the weather in New Orleans—sunny—, check my messages and play silly little games. Time feels like it's passing by quickly, but when I check my phone, it's only been half an hour. I notice that there's no foreign language chattering going on, so I peep my head up to check on Klaus, and he's staring right at me, smiling. _Whoa, creepy much?_

"Umm, can I help you?" He holds up his hands, as if in surrender and returns to the sketchpad he was holding. _Is he drawing me, again?_ "What?" I prompt, trying to sound annoyed, but even I can hear the smile in my voice. Klaus's eyes flick up to me briefly before returning to his pencil and paper. "Oh nothing. Just a humorous observation, that's all." _Is it really that difficult to answer a question?_ "_Klaus_." I insist, and he sighs and balances his pencil on his notepad. "You have a little something, _there_, sweetheart." He says, pointing to the side of his nose. I pull out my phone and turn on the camera, looking at myself in it, and he's right, there's a mascara mark right on the side of my nose, in plain view. I'm horrified. "I just found it funny that perfection herself makes mistakes. Now where's the hope for the rest of us, love?" His voice isn't mocking, at all, he's being sincere. I'd almost rather he was making fun of me. I stop trying to wipe the smudge on my face and stare at him, stunned. His pale blue eyes are spellbinding, and I don't think of anything at all, I can't. He makes it hard to completely hate him. He's smiling at me, and I find myself smiling back.

"What are you drawing, anyway?" I ask, wanting to get into safer territory than praises of perfection. "It's just a sketch of our little house." He answers, and I wasn't expecting that. I let the use of pronoun slip. "Really? Can I see it?" He quickly gets out of his seat and vampire speeds to the one next to mine. _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea._ He hands the sketchbook to me. It's beautiful, almost like a black and white picture. It's one of those big blocky houses with terraces, the kind with no space in between one house and the next. He's drawn little white lights all around it, and there's a lovely double doorway right in front. "Oh gosh, this is really good. Do you own this place?" He takes the sketchbook back, and he looks pleased. "I've just purchased it a few weeks ago, when I decided to make this place my home again." He stops smiling and I know he's about to say something I don't want to hear. "It could be your home too, if you'd like." My good mood slips right off my face, and I look away from him. "In your dreams." I scoff. He flips the page in his sketchbook and begins drawing anew. "Not just mine, love." He murmurs.

I spend the rest of the flight stubbornly keeping to myself, and wishing desperately that I hadn't come in the first place. I'm so grateful when we finally land that my soured mood lightens. We've arrived in the early nighttime. It's a quick drive from a plane runway to the heart of New Orleans, and everything's so lively and pretty that I exclaim to Klaus in excitement, "I can see why you'd want to come back. This place is amazing." He grins at me and replies, "Yes, the view is _quite _spectacular." But he's just looking at me, and I feel like he's talking about something else.

We pull up in front of the real life version of Klaus's drawing, and he takes me inside while the driver gets our bags. It looks impossibly bigger on the inside, and it's made of old, rough stone material mixed with shiny white marble. "Pick any room you'd like." He says and I go bolting up the stairs. I settle on a moderately sized room—I assumed he'd be lurking in whichever was the master bedroom—with dainty white quilts, twinkling white lights and a small terrace that looks over a waterway. I open the terrace doors and look out on the sights, leaning on the balcony. The intoxicating aroma of human blood reaches my nose, my breathing picks up and I'm reminded that I neglected to eat yesterday. _I packed some bloodbags in one of my suitcases, I should—_"A wee bit peckish, sweetheart?" Klaus interrupts my thoughts; he's somehow snuck up right next to me. I can feel the veins underneath my eyes, and my lengthened fangs. _I really should learn some self-control._

He leans into my ear and whispers conspiratorially, "I was thinking of going _out_ to eat, myself. Care to join?" His breath tickles my ear and sends shivers up my spine. "I-I uh, drink from bloodbags." I reply. _Why is my voice shaking? _"I don't know _how_ you manage it, love." He breathes. He pulls the hair away from my ear and I can feel his lips ghosting my ear. "Too cold, the blood always coagulates, it's unavoidable. I prefer my meals _hot_, and_ fresh_." I lick my lips, on autopilot. _He's tempting me, the prick._ "I'm not stupid, _Klaus_." I hiss. He leans back, "Caroline, you're on _vacation_. In New Orleans of all places," He says, spreading his arms. "Surely it wouldn't kill you to do what you want for once. I know you must think of it." I do think of it. Often. But the last time I fed naturally, someone got hurt. "You have centuries before you, Caroline. You should take advantage of _every_ pleasure."

He left soon after that, and I dashed around the house, looking for my bags, only to find them sitting innocently on my bed. I had passed right by them. I tear through my suitcases, finding the one with bloodbags and guzzle down a few, trying not to focus on the words 'cold' and 'unsatisfying' that keep bouncing around my head and things that start with K.

I quickly unpack my stuff, set an alarm for the morning and lay down on my new bed, drifting off into a fitful sleep. And I dream.

_I'm taking a bath, with lots of lavender bubbles. They smell wonderful. My hair is in an up-do to keep it out of the water, and the bathroom is sparkling white. There's even an adorable rubber ducky beside me. This is like, the best bath ever. I'm relaxed and happy, and suddenly Klaus appears in the bathroom, sitting on the closed lid of the toilet. 'It's a shame you like bubble baths.' He says, as if picking up on a conversation we were having. I'm glad he's there, and for once, I don't feel self-conscious or shameful for it._

'_But they're so fun, and bubbly!' I reply, tossing some bubbles up in the air and laughing. 'Like you.' Klaus remarked. He's grinning. He has such a nice smile. My heart feels all gooey. Klaus gets up from the toilet and comes to kneel at the side of the bathtub. 'Hey! No peaking!" I giggle. 'Wouldn't dream of it, love.' He replies. His hand does drift into the water close to the edge, and the proximity brings a buzzing feeling to my body._

_The strange dizziness turns to lust, and I feel my vampire's mask come on, my mouth aching. 'I'm hungry.' I bleat petulantly. Klaus 'tut-tuts' and murmurs 'Well that won't do.' His eyes glow a vibrant yellow, and his lips part to reveal two sets of sharp fangs. He brings his wrist to his mouth and bites into it, the crunch of flesh giving way audible. He brushes the bleeding wound against my mouth and says 'Drink up, sweetheart.'_

_The aroma alone makes my world tilt, and I close my mouth around his wrist and suck. The taste is incredible, better than any human blood, bagged or not. I draw upon it greedily, moaning slightly. I have to dig my fangs in occasionally to keep the blood flowing and when I do I can hear Klaus's breath hitch in his throat. I feel like I'm falling, and my vision is fading._

BEEP BEEP BEEP

**AN: Now, I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea. This will not be a fluff story, Klaus is not a cuddly kitten, it will get darker. Please tell me what you think. Much love, Midden.**


	3. Chapter 3- Harder Harmonies

**III. Harder Harmonies**

_And brings a fever, a dream of sweat and ecstasy._

_A kiss on every hammer hit that follows as the keys fall down and_

_Bring an order first, then chaos, then a calm, that_

_Paints every shift in murals on the wall. And_

_It presses to your neck,_

_It clutches to your hips,_

_Softly sings to you of fireworks and God and art and sex and it's strange-_

_That it feels so right when nothing else does._

I jerk awake, sitting straight up in my bed and pushing the stop button on my alarm angrily. I had fallen asleep with my clothes on. I stare at the clock and it's seven in the morning. _What possessed me to set it this early?_ I sigh and get up to take my shower. I carefully peel my clothes off in the bathroom, folding them into a neat little pile, and turning the shower on so that it's just a little bit cold. I shampoo my hair; it's some fancy designer shampoo with lavender scent. I wonder idly if Klaus picked it out... And that's when the dream I've been meticulously avoiding thinking about rears its ugly head.

_What the hell was that about?_ Klaus and me, and a _bathtub_? I drank his blood, and I was acting as if it was sex for Christ's sake. It felt so _real_. What the _hell_ is wrong with me? What kind of sick, twisted mind—Oh. My. God. That's it! Its Klaus, he must have done that freaky Jedi-vampire mind trick thingy. Stefan told me how Katherine manipulated him like that. That's _messed_ up. I am NOT going to let him treat me like that. I turn off the shower and grab the fluffy pale blue towel on the rod and hastily dry and then put on little dark blue shorts and a white tank. _I am going to give him a piece of my mind._ _And then I'm going to get the hell out of here._

I ignore my wet hair and go padding around the house, shouting for Klaus. I've reached the kitchen and he's just standing there, leaning against the island just in pajama pants, and sipping what strangely enough actually smelled like coffee. "Caroline! Good morning, love." He greets cheerily, taking in my scantily clad body shamelessly. I forget myself for a moment, and stare at his exposed upper body. _Focus, Care_. "Don't you 'g_ood morning_' me." I seethe. "I see somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Klaus says, taking a swig of his coffee and raising his eyebrows. "What's all the yelling about then?" _I can't believe this. He's seriously going to play all innocent?_ "You _know_ what Klaus!" He takes a step forward, putting down his coffee mug. "I assure you sweetheart, I don't. I _suggest_ you tell me what's going on. I have a fairly short fuse in the morning."

I frown and the tiniest sliver of doubt rises in my head. _No, he's trying to trick me._ "You know what, Klaus? This is probably the most depraved thing you've ever done, and you've pretty much almost killed me twice." All the breath is knocked out of my lungs—_ouch_—and I find that I'm pressed up against the far wall of the kitchen, Klaus's hand around my throat. Not squeezing—yet—just holding.

Before I can get out a string of expletives, Klaus puts a small amount of pressure on my throat, getting my attention. "_Caroline_. While I do not, and _have_ _not_ ever claimed to be a _saint_, I don't take kindly to deformations of character completely uncalled for." He growls. His grip relaxes slightly and he says, "Now tell me, _what_ is going on?" _Could I be wrong?_ _I can't tell if he's just bullshitting me. What would he gain?_ "Let go of me Klaus!" I demand, struggling.

"No. Not until you tell me what's wrong." He says calmly.

_This isn't right_. This isn't how it's supposed to happen. "You messed with my mind! You-you made me dream…" I trail off, and I get the sickening feeling that this is all going to blow up in my face.

"Dream?" Klaus blurts out in astonishment. He lets go of me and takes a small step back. He runs his hand through his short hair. "You dreamt of me? _That's_ what this is about?" He gives a small laugh. "For fuck's sake Caroline, you had me worried." I feel my face heat and I look down, wishing I could disappear. Klaus's hand grabs my chin and he tilts my face up to look at him. I try to look away, but he squeezes, and it hurts. "You don't need to be embarrassed, love. It was only a matter of time, you know that. Stubborn repression only works for so long."

_How could I?_ _How could I be that terrible of a person?_

Klaus's hands move to firmly grasp my waist I'm so wrapped up in my inner panic that it hardly registers. "Tell me about it." He says, as if I've just had a bad dream. "NO." I reply, shaking my head and trying thoughtlessly to put space between us. He sighs and moves one hand to grip my wet mane, pulling so that I'm facing him once again. His pupils' contract and he repeats, "_Tell_ me about it."

My mouth moves of its own accord. "I was taking a bath, and you were there and I drank your blood." _Did he really just—_"How did you feel?" He prompts, pupils contracting. "Wonderful—I was so happy. It was…delicious."

He doesn't say anything for a moment, he just stares at me curiously, and I realize I'm able to look away. Anger roars inside me, building up rapidly, spreading like wildfire through my being. He just compelled me. _Literally_ took my free will, even if for only a moment.

A crack slices through the air as my palm collides with his face. "Just who THE FUCK do you think you are?" I scream. I move to slap him again, but his hand reaches up casually and stops me midway. "UGHH!" I shriek, jerkily pulling my arm to get him to let me go. "Temper, temper." He clucks. "I know you feel guilty, sweetheart, but really. Control yourself."

He's smiling.

I yell something that might have been words originally, but just sounded like animal cries. My other hand scrunches into a fist and I throw it into his stomach, with all the force I can muster. He coughs lightly, letting go of my hand. That didn't hurt him nearly as much as I wanted it to.

Klaus's eyebrows rise in disbelief. "You're playing with fire, love." He warns.

_I am __**so**__ past caring._

I speed over to the knife holder, and take out the biggest I see. I throw it, straight where his heart would be, if he had one. He catches it, blood blooming from his hand where he's gripped the blade. It clatters to the floor. _Could he be any more frustrating?_ I lunge, hoping to knock him off his feet so I can wipe that smug face into the wood. He turns my momentum against me, twirling me around, arm around my waist until I'm flush against him, my back towards his front.

He keeps one arm around my waist, immovable as steel. He takes his other—bloody but healed—hand and captures both of my wrists, effectively stilling me. His voice comes rough by my ear, "You're reckless when you're angry at yourself, you know that?"

I thrash violently and grit out, "I'm _angry_ at _you_!" I feel his chuckle on my ear and shiver compulsively. "So you _don't_ feel guilty? What would everyone in Mystic Falls say if they knew? Hmm? That you dream about playing with the big bad wolf in a bathtub, about _this_—" He abandons my wrists and brings his hand up to my face, a smear of dried blood on it. My nostrils flare and I feel my fangs elongating painfully in my mouth.

I stare at it, mesmerized, remembering how _good_ it was in my dream.

"Klaus. Just stop, _please_." I whine, deflating. To my surprise, he does. He removes his hand from my waist, stepping back.

"You're not a bad person, Caroline." He says softly. "Even the purest of hearts are attracted to the darkness." He walks past me, stopping to lean in and kiss my forehead. I hear him taking the steps to go upstairs, to his room, but I don't move a muscle.

I feel cold.

Klaus's assurance has done nothing to ease my mind. I had to be a bad person. There's no other way of looking at it. I was maddeningly attracted to a man who probably murdered the most people of any one person in the history, of like, the entire world.

_I'm a monster._

I speed outside; it's still fairly early in the morning, even though it feels like it's been days since I got up this morning.

I find what I'm looking for around the back of the house; there's a young man fishing in the waterways. I stop in front of him, and he jumps, startled. "I am _so_ sorry." I whisper, before grabbing him by the collar and forcing him to meet my eyes and focusing my compulsion on him, "Don't scream."

* * *

I watch my dear Caroline from the window. She rips into the poor Spaniard's neck, quite viciously. In broad daylight, no less. I wonder if I should stop her, but I doubt that she'll kill him. She's not yet had her switch off, and I don't think she'd give into that desire until then.

It _will_ happen, one day. And I'll be sure to be there to help her through it, in any way she needs.

In the meantime, there's the matter of Marcel to keep me busy whilst she inevitably avoids me because of today.

Elijah told me he had news. He wouldn't say what over the phone, but it had bloody well be good.

**AN: Poor Caroline, she's a stress eater. Elijah's news. Hmm... wonder what that could be? For the record, I'm viciously anti-Haley. So it's not going to end well for her if she does indeed make an appearance.**

**Tell me what you think, and I'll love you forever-Midden.**


	4. Chapter 4- Glad You Came

**IV. Glad You Came**

_I'll take you by the hand_

_Hand you another drink_

_Drink it if you can_

…

_Stay with me I can make,_

_Make you glad you came_

I don't know what I'm doing anymore. Why haven't I left yet? Why am I not actually surprised that _I_ dreamt of Klaus? Why attack that man? What am I trying to prove? That it's not as bad to crave the darkness if you're in it?

I feel like I should avoid Klaus as much as possible, after what happened yesterday.

But I don't.

So when he asked me if I would come with him tonight to the home of an old friend of his—Marcel, I think his name was—I said yes. He didn't mention yesterday, or the man, though I know he must have seen me, none of it.

Now I'm trying to figure out what to wear. Everything in my closet looks like I dug it out of freaking Richard Simon's wardrobe today. I shouldn't care. I _shouldn't_ be going in the first place.

I decide on a flow-ey black mini dress, with crochet flowers all over it. I wear my hair down. I'm nervous. My hands are shaking.

There's a knock at the door and I jump. _Chill the fuck out, Caroline_. "Come in." I call. Klaus strolls in, wearing jeans, a vee neck tee, and some ridiculously expensive-looking blazer. _I am so screwed._ "You look stunning, love." He says, all silk and honey, reaching out and trailing his hand down my arm. Goosebumps rise on my arm, and I don't want him to see, so I turn quickly and search for the right shoes. "Did you _want_ something, Klaus?" I blurt, angrily. I still haven't really forgiven him for what he did yesterday, compelling me. Like it was nothing. And his ability to make me shiver like that in spite of my anger.

"Oh, it's nothing really. There's a Guatemalan fellow waiting downstairs in a taxi, but I'm sure he can wait"; I roll my eyes. "Some things are more important." He continues. He points to a pair of strappy silver pumps I have lined up in the closet. "Those." It's not really a suggestion, so much as a command and I really want to refuse, just to piss him off. But they _are_ perfect. I sigh and yank them on, grumbling to myself.

* * *

We've finally arrived, and I could not be happier to have an excuse to get wasted. There's flashing lights, bass driven music, and trays going around with all sorts of strange looking, Technicolor drinks everywhere. This is a _party_.

Almost everyone here looks to be vampires, and it makes me somewhat nervous. I've never seen so many at once. And those who aren't vampires, humans, are either walking around dazed, compelled, being fed on—_in public—_or, strangely enough, look like they know what's going on, and don't care, excited and a little bit afraid, like being right up against the bars of the lion's cage at the zoo. But there are no bars here, they're in a slaughterhouse.

The scent of blood is in the air, like a sweet perfume, and I grab a drink off the nearest tray. Klaus has my elbow and is leading me through the crowd, looking for his friend I guess. I don't mind, not really. I don't want to be alone here, I'm far too sober.

A lithe, black man with a shaved head and trimmed facial hair comes up to us, throwing his arms up in welcoming. "Klaus! My mentor, my sire, my friend!" Klaus lets go of me to embrace him. "Marcel. It's been too long, friend." Marcel looks at me from over Klaus's shoulder and raises an eyebrow. "And who is this?" He asks, pulling away from the hug. His eyes are so full of mirth it's uncomfortable.

Klaus turns to face me, taking my hand, and pulling me forward a bit. "This," He says, squeezing my hand lightly "—is Caroline…" He wants to say something else, I know he does—a qualifier, something to label me untouchable to anyone else_—_but he refrains, and I'm grateful. I don't think it would go over well if I attacked him here.

I do a little wave, feeling awkward. Marcel doesn't respond for a moment and tension rises in the air. "Well. Any friend of Klaus is a friend of mine!" He throws his arms around me and it startles me. I hear something that sounds like a growl come from behind me, and Marcel chuckles. "Some things never change." He laughs, stepping backwards.

I feel like I'm out of the loop.

I look from Klaus—who seems to have been put off by something—to Marcel and want to say something to break the tension. "So how long have you known Klaus?" I ask, genuinely curious. Klaus answers for him, "Over a century, love." I grimace slightly. It sounds so much more _wrong_ to hear him call me that in public. "That long?" I giggle, "So how many times have _you_ tried to kill him? I think the family record is eight."

Marcel laughs a deep, resonating sound. "I _like_ her!" He laughs, clasping Klaus on the back. _Shit. He looks mad_.

Klaus puts on a toothy grin that looks more threatening than happy and replies, "Yes, well that makes two of us." He puts an arm around my waist, pulling me to him, a possessive gesture. Then the weirdest thing happens. Klaus and Marcel seem to have a flipping staring contest, with Klaus's arm stiff around me, and a static sort of energy in the air. Just as quickly as it started, it stops, and Marcel chuckles, tells us to enjoy ourselves, and that he'd find Klaus later, 'to catch up'.

"What the hell was all that about?" I hiss, moving out of his reach.

"I can't say I know what you mean. I met and old friend, said hi, and now we're free to join the festivities." He answers, grabbing a drink off a passing tray.

"That _thing_ that just went on there, with the staring, and the grabbing, and the _weirdness_, you know what I mean."

"Oh, _that_. That was—marking my territory." He says, casually, taking a sip of his drink. "Your _territory_," I repeat, dumbfounded. _Me, he means me_. "I am _not_ your property, Klaus." I narrow my eyes and toss back the entirety of my drink, placing it on the nearest tray. I flip my hair over my shoulder and huff, "Now, if you'll excuse me, _I _came out to have fun tonight. And I can't see that happening with a grumpy Original keeper." I walk away from him, and I'm so giddy at the thought of the look on his face that I don't even think about where I'm going or what I'm going to do.

* * *

"_Ouch_. That has got to hurt." Comes a voice behind me.

"Hello, Elijah." I smirk, turning towards him. "I'm not worried. She'll come around eventually. I always get what I want, in the end."

"Maybe more than what you want." He hedges, and I look at him curiously. "Come, brother." He says, gesturing for me to follow him.

He takes me to some abandoned cemetery building, and I've had enough of these games. "_Enough_, Elijah, why am I here? What's going on?" A woman walks into view, around the decrepit building. _Her. I recognize her._ Hayley, a wolf I had sex with, one drink-fueled night all those weeks ago. "What _is_ this, then?"

Elijah gestures Hayley forward, and she speaks, arms crossed. "Look, this past week has been hell for me, so I'm just going to say it. I'm pregnant."

"And what concern of that is mine?" I demand, stepping forward. "It's _yours_, brother." Elijah answers.

I laugh. _What kind of joke is this?_ "You can't be serious. Vampires don't procreate."

"You are not all vampire, Niklaus. It's true, brother. _Listen_."

I narrow my eyes, but unconsciously do as he suggests, my hearing picking up on a tiny, rapid heartbeat underneath the wolf's own. Anger overcomes me. _Everything has been going so well. This can't be._ I swiftly put my hand over the wolf's throat, shoving her up against the wall. I hear Elijah shouting for me to stop, but I ignore him. "LIAR." I roar, "Who else did you sleep with, huh? Who the fuck's _pup_ are you trying to put on me?" I squeeze, hard, and briefly imagine myself snapping her worthless, lying neck.

"No one!" She chokes out, "I swear! It's yours; I just—can't do this on my own! I-I—" Twin steams of tears are running down her face. I hear the truth in her words and a strange tight feeling in my chest burns as I realize that this is real. I slam her head against the wall. I smell blood. _She just won't shut up._

Elijah wrenches my hands off of her, and I let him, unsure of what I'd do to her otherwise. _I don't want this. _"Klaus, **enough**." He growls.

He places her gently behind himself and approaches me. "Niklaus, you have a duty now, to someone other than yourself. You can't run from your problems, not this time." _He's right_.

"Right you are, Elijah." I murmur, and see him visibly relax. "However—what I _can_ do, is kill her." I rush forward and am met by the wall of my brother, pushing against me. I grab him by the collar and toss him, throwing him into a large oak tree. I advance on Hayley and she backs up, tripping slightly before breaking out into a run. _Silly girl_.

I speed in front of her, and she gasps, turning and running back in the opposite direction. I'm just about to reach her when she disappears.

"You cannot kill her, Klaus, I will _not_ allow it." Elijah shouts from a tomb above me. I look up, and he's grasping the wolf, making sure she doesn't fall. "You think that's going to stop me?" I taunt.

He sighs. "No." _So he hasn't lost his mind after all._ "But I think I know what will." I leap up to the peaked tomb entrance, balancing easily. "What are you playing at, Elijah?"

"Tell me, does Caroline know about Hayley, at all?" He doesn't wait for an answer. "She certainly doesn't know about the pregnancy. How would she feel, Klaus, if she found out that you learn a girl is pregnant with your child, and you try to kill her? How many decades would that set you back—how many centuries?"

"Don't you _dare_ threaten ME." I bark.

"I do not wish to, brother. But you are quite impossible to reason with. I cannot have an unborn child and its mother murdered because you aren't willing to accept responsibility."

There is a long pause, in which I try to come up with any way out of this that does not involve killing my brother.

I glare at the wolf, and hiss at Elijah, pointing a finger at her, "I want _nothing _to do with it."

He nods his head and says softly, "We will see."

* * *

I'm slightly tipsy. I giggle to myself. I used to be the kind of person that would lecture someone to death for drinking in a strange place, with people you don't know. But I'm different now. I'm not so afraid anymore.

A man comes up to me, all arms and legs and shaggy blonde hair. "You look beautiful." He says, and I can't help but inhale at the very human scent of him. "You _smell_ beautiful." I reply, laughing. He grins. "I'm Jared." He says, extending his hand. I take it. "Caroline." His eyes sparkle. "Caroline, you want to go somewhere a little quieter?" He sweeps three fingers on the side of his neck, and I think it must be a gesture used here. _Yes, please_.

I've heard from Stefan that some vampires find humans that like being bitten. They get addicted to it, and nobody really cares that they know the secret because they would never jeopardize their fix.

I'm thinking that that's what Jared is, as he leads me through various hallways to an empty room. It's dark in here, and I know he can't see. He doesn't really need to, I find out, there's not much furniture here, a few odd chairs and lounges, but the majority of the space is taken up by massive pillows, absolutely covering the floor.

He falls back onto the pillows, getting up on his elbows to sweep his hair off his neck. I'm paralyzed by the sight of it, by the thought of the blood. _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea_. I'm about to say so when Jared calls out to me, "Come on, no need to be shy, Caroline. Take a taste, _I_ won't bite."

My resolve, shaky to begin with, crumbles, my fangs lengthen, and I drop down to his body.

* * *

I've spent the past hour drinking heavily and looking for Caroline. I don't really know why. I just need to see her. Need to look upon her face, to know I still have _her_.

I stumble a bit and I realize that I'm more intoxicated than I thought.

I wander the grounds, eventually coming to a door, the scent of blood lingering just beyond it. I open it without thinking, and there she is, my angel of light, gulping down the blood of some blood-junkie, her dress ridding dangerously high up her thighs.

"Caroline." I blurt out, and it takes a moment for her to stop, and turn around. "Klaus?" She says, licking her lips clean, and I have the strongest urge to do it for her. "Where have you been?" She asks, her pretty mouth frowning slightly. Her eyes fade back to her natural, perfect green slowly.

"No questions about that, love." I move to sit next to her and she scrambles off the Junkie, grabbing a pad of gauze out of the box on the nearby couch. She hands it to him, and he presses it to his neck. His eyes are glazed.

"This is James." She says, gesturing. "—Jared," he corrects her, but she doesn't acknowledge it. He gets up, smiling and heads out the door, and "You two have fun!" He calls back, closing the door and Caroline's sweet face scrunches up.

"Correct me if I'm wrong," I start, "_he_ is not a blood bag. Technically." She shoves me good-naturedly, and giggles. "Don't ruin my blood high, Klaus." She leans back on her elbows, and I have to remind myself that I'm not thinking straight. "I'm on vacation." She justifies.

"Do you know what a blood high _is_, sweetheart?" I say, catching sight of a spare bit of blood that she neglected. "It takes a lot more than one thin _boy_ to trigger it." She looks at me sideways, smirking "I think you have a much higher tolerance than I do, Mr. Runs-with-Rippers." _She has a point_.

I move closer to her, tilting her face towards mine gently. "You have a little something, _right_ here." I say, tracing the mark of blood gingerly with my finger. I can feel her jaw moving as she swallows. "Is that our thing now?" She mumbles, her voice slightly airy.

"Allow me." I lean in, and dart my tongue out to lick at the stain. She shivers, and says hoarsely, "You're drunk." _Incredibly so._ I smile, dragging my tongue against the side of her mouth again. Her eyes close.

"Are you afraid you'll take advantage, love?"

I lick the length of her bottom lip, then take it into my mouth and bite down, careful not to draw blood. She inhales and her mouth opens, and I press my lips against hers, hungrily, tired of waiting.

_She's intoxicating._ Her mouth tastes like his blood and I devour it, trying to burn into my memory every motion that makes her breath hitch, every feeling, everything. I twist my hand through her hair, pulling, holding her in place, using my other to press her body against mine. She tries to pull away but I don't allow it, and it's not until my kiss wanders to her jawline, and we're both panting that she is able to voice her concern.

"—Klaus," I crush my mouth back to hers, forcefully, painfully, urging her to give up. She does, kissing back with fire, gripping on to the back of my neck, my back.

I feel like I'm running out of air, though I don't need it. Something in the back of my mind is telling me that I should stop this before it gets too far.

Caroline's hand wanders to my thigh, and I realize that if it goes much farther, I won't be _able_ to stop it.

I pull away, holding her still for a moment so that I don't have a temptation to change my mind. I'm able to calm my breathing before she is, so I simply watch her, observing. She's looking at the ground; probably horrified at herself. I embrace her, feeling her small rib-cage expand and contract quickly. I kiss her softly on the mouth, trying my best to behave.

"Let's go home."

**AN: This one's a bit longer. Good thing? Bad thing? I have no idea, tell me.**

**The addition of Hayley will have some messy consequences, so if you do have a passionate moral stance about pregnant women in fiction, you should probably stop reading.**

**Tell me what you think. Much love-Midden.**

**Reminder: Klaus is meant to be dark. Lying, killing, tricking, all very Klaus-ey things.**


	5. Chapter 5- Fall Down

**V. Fall Down**

_Someone was trembling for fear of the tempest_

_Somebody silently reached for their hand_

_Said, understand that if you're cold I'll keep you warm_

_And besides, there's so much beauty in a storm_

I may be lush out of my mind, but _that_ was the best kiss of my life. _It should have been much more than a kiss_, the wolf in me whispers. I should have fucked her senseless into that pillowed floor, until she was so spent she _begged_ me to stop. I should have touched every part of her, marked her with my scent, with bruises, wounds. Make her scream my name; over and over…Let her know just how thoroughly she is _mine_. I should have done whatever I bloody well pleased, because I _can_, and because I know, buried in her humanity, she wants it just as bad as I do. I shake my head, focusing on the pathetically human action of opening the door to my house._ No_–Caroline deserves _more_.

Caroline's pretty mouth has stopped moving, and the silence from her is unusual. She bids me goodnight and walks up to her bedroom, saying she was tired. I can't help the grin on my face as I wish her sweet dreams. _Of me, I hope_.

Grabbing a blood bag from the fridge—I didn't have time to hunt tonight—I walk up to my room, and its balcony. New Orleans is beautiful at night. Even more so, that it used to be. Now vampires run free here, and the nighttime is when you can hear them, unabashedly fighting, fucking, and feeding. It is the most dangerous permanent party fixture I've ever known. And I want it _back_. Marcel will be exceedingly tricky to take down, always surrounded by his lackeys. I could kill _all_ of them, but then, whom would I rule? I sip on the nauseatingly bland liquid, eventually, as the sun was coming up, hearing a soft thump behind me. _Fantastic_. "Hello, Elijah."

"Niklaus."

"To what do I owe _this_ pleasure?" I growl, finishing the blood bag and tossing it to the dumpster down on the docks behind the house.

Elijah looks down, fussing with his cufflinks. "The girl is still hysterical, Klaus. My heart goes out to her… I think it would help if you assured her personally that you would see this thing through." _Not kill her, he means_.

Just like that, I feel all too sober. "I've told you, Elijah, I want _nothing_ to do with this." I walk past him, _far_ past done with this conversation.

"Such stress is not good for the child inside her, Niklaus, _your_ child. She needs sleep."

I turn around and laugh, "So tranquilize the bitch!" I open my arms toward him, a flippant gesture. "I don't _care_ what she needs."

His eyes narrow. "How can you say such things?" He steps closer to me, "All you have ever wanted is a family, Niklaus, now you have the chance, and you're willing to throw it away?"

"—And what good has a _family_ ever gotten me, Elijah, pray tell? You and Rebekah are my only siblings left, and you've both plotted against me at one time or another, _both_ my mother and my father wanted me dead, for centuries."

"Mother and Father wanted _all_ of us dead, brother. Need I remind you that _you_ tossed us into crates, daggered, whenever the mood stroke?" He puts a hand on my shoulder, speaking more gently, "We are all guilty of mistakes, Klaus. But you, Rebekah, and I—we are in this _together_."

The lump in my throat surprises me. I so wish what he said was the truth. But there was no doubt in my mind that whenever someone decides again arbitrarily that it was time to blame the problems they'd caused themselves on the Original hybrid, Elijah and Bekah would be right there with them if it suited them. We bickered like children still; only now, retaliations had escalated to attempts at ending one another's lives. Or at least pausing them indefinitely, in my case. _I _would never make an actual attempt on either of their lives, despite their hatred of me, I am the most loyal of them all, even moral-compass Elijah.

How I wish Kol were alive and well. He was unpredictable, to say the least, but I've always thought us kindred spirits. Despite his violent mood swings, and tendency to disobey direct orders, he understood me. Understood the wolf in me, as he housed a little monster of his own. One of a different kind, perhaps.

_Now is not a time to dwell._

Forcing myself to nod, I speaking in a fake cheery voice, "Whatever you say, Elijah. Just do me a favor and learn to resist the urge to make visits to baby-daddy for _pep _talks."

_Best get this over with_.

* * *

I feel hung-over on guilt. I groan and roll out of bed. _Coffee_.

The feel of Klaus's lips against mine is haunting me, causing me to repeatedly reach up and touch my lips absentmindedly. The thing that really gets me, rather than the fact that it happened in the first place, is that _he_ stopped _me_. I was the one taking it too far, the one who wanted too much and had to be restrained. It's beyond humiliating.

There was, of course, the ugly little fact that Klaus was pretty much the devil.

But I've run out of ideas of how to just _stop_ being attracted to him. I couldn't very well avoid him, in his own house, a bed I've made for myself. And he certainly was not going to make it easy for me, no, he was clearly going to make it as hard as possible. So, maybe I could just try to focus on something else, like my 'real' reason for coming here, finding out what he was up to. I was sure I heard him talking to someone in the wee hours of the morning, but I couldn't understand what they were saying. _Stupid foreign languages_.

I needed some help on this one.

Since he's out right now, doing god knows what, I quickly get out my cell phone, coffee cup in my other hand, and dial Damon's phone number. _If I want to figure out what he's planning, I'll need a fellow bad guy's perspective_.

It picks up on the fourth ring. "_What?_"

_Jeeze._ "I need your help, Damon."

"Surprise, surprise. Just don't use your teeth, Vampire Barbie, and you'll do fine."

"Wha…Oh my god. _Ew_. No, I need your help figuring out what Klaus is up to."

"Yeahh—I don't know if you're aware, but Mystic Falls is pretty far from Louisiana."

I roll my eyes. "I just need you to tell me how to get answers from him without arousing suspicion."

"Well, in that case, see advice number one."

"Ugh! Damon this is _serious_." I hear him sigh.

"Fine. Well the only way that's really going to work is if you have some sort of right to know what he's doing. This is possible, since he's head over heels for you." There's a pause and I know he's physically rolling his eyes. "Has he seemed to have been hiding anything from _you_, specifically?"

He tells me about Marcel fairly casually, how this used to be his town, and Marcel took it from him. Naturally, he wants it back. It not surprising and it really isn't any concern of _ours_. But—I think back to this morning. _He knows that I could have heard him if he was speaking English_. Klaus may know all the languages under the sun, but he seemed to favor English. He even had an accent.

"Yeah, actually. Whenever he talks to—Elijah, I guess if must be," I recall the phone call on the plane, "he speaks in some freaky, old language."

"Then that's your ticket." I hear him take a swig of something in the background. "Find Elijah or confront Klaus directly."

"Thanks, Damon, really." I breathe happily.

"That's what friends are for, Barbie." _We're friends now?_ The line goes dead.

* * *

I decide to find Elijah, because I was more likely to get a straight answer out of him. From what Elena's told me in the past, anyway. He's been the most honorable of the Original brothers, though I'm not sure that means much.

Klaus comes in on my way out, and he asks, none too casually, where I'm going. "Out." I reply, crossing my arms over my chest. He raises an eyebrow and smirks. "Just try not to draw too much attention, love." _He thinks I'm going out feeding, good_.

I scoff and let myself out quickly before I can give myself away. The New Orleans air is pleasant at night, and smells faintly of bourbon, and blood. _If I were Elijah, where would I be? _I think about his serious attitude, his sullen acceptance of his imperfect family, and decide that somewhere as morose as the cemetery would be a good place to start. My heels click away in the direction of the nearest one, following the handy GPS on my phone.

* * *

_She's up to something_.

I don't know what, but whatever it is, it can't be good. I considered insisting on accompanying her, but knew she would abandon whatever plan hatched in that pretty little head of hers. Instead I decide to observe from the comfort of my home, accessing the fancy little app I installed on hers. A tracking device.

**AN: Sorry its a bit short, but the next one is kind of intense, and it didn't really feel right to chop the next scene up.**

**Forgive me? -Midden**


	6. Chapter 6- About Falling

**VI. About Falling**

_The tide rolls by and I wonder why I felt inclined to try,_

_My starry eyes were sacrificed_

_The sea divides but I don't wanna get lost in the ocean_

_I don't wanna get lost in the ocean now_

I come across smoke drifting out from the chimney of the funeral home. It's too late for an attendant to still be on duty, so I walk towards it, determined to get answers out of this virtuous Original brother, no matter what. As I approach, I can hear two people talking. A man and a woman. An argument.

'Yeah? And what am I supposed to do when he changes his mind?' _She's been crying_. I can hear it in her voice, hoarse, and breathy.

'He won't. I've made sure of it, remember?' A pause. _Elijah?_ 'You have nothing to fear from my brother.' _Klaus is the only brother he has left…What would he want with—?_

'I don't know if I believe that.' _Hayley! That's who it is. That wolf-girl who had a crush on Tyler. What is she doing here?_

Things are getting really strange, and I'm not so sure I'm going to like what Elijah has to say. _No time like the present._ I knock on the back door to the building, since it seems to be the one closer to them. I hear Elijah mutter to himself, 'I wonder who that could be…'

His face when he opens the door is nothing short of bewildered. Eyes widening then quickly contracting into a squint. "Caroline? What are you doing here?" His hands subtly push the door slightly more closed. _What is he hiding?_ I cross my arms across my chest. "May I come in?" I ask, sounding much more patient than I'm feeling. Elijah blinks twice. "Of course, please." He opens the door wide, stepping aside with a slight bow.

I look around the room. It's completely furnished with all the makings of a cozy bedroom, a rug, a large mirror, strings of lights hung around the ceiling, and Hayley sitting on a plush, queen-sized bed, eyes wet and glaring daggers at me. _She's living here? With—him?_

I shake my head. _No, no, that can't be right. How would Hayley even know Elijah?_ I turn to face Elijah, whose fingers of his right hand are slowly rubbing against each other at his side, tense. Before I can ask anything, Hayley speaks up. "What the hell is she doing here?" She barks, voice laced with malice I'm not really sure how I've earned. I glare at her. "Elijah?" I prompt tentatively.

He clears his throat and speaks to Hayley; he chastises her, "_Hayley_." He gives her a pointed look. Elijah turns back toward me and clasps his hands in front of him, "To what do I owe this—pleasure, Ms. Forbes?"

My eyes narrow. _Do people think I'm stupid or something?_ "I think you know what."

"Not exactly, no." He sighs.

"_Fine_." I huff, "Let's start out with what _she's_ doing here, in the middle of a goddamn cemetery."

"I thought it would be more remote than a hotel, safer."

"Is she in danger?" I blink, thinking of what I heard just a few minutes ago. "Is it Klaus? Why?"

Elijah hesitates then, the muscles around his eyes tightening. He looks like he's struggling with something. He opens and closes his mouth several times before he speaks. "I suppose you ha—"

"Elijah, _no_. You can't" Hayley interrupts and I picture myself, just for a moment, snapping her bobble head neck. I let out an angry snarl. "Can't _what_? What the hell is no one telling me?"

"They can't tell you, sweetheart, not unless they want to lose their heads." The fake-cheery, accented voice of Klaus Mikaelson causes all to whip our heads around, seeing him walk through the doorway opposite of the one I entered. _Is it freaking annoy the crap out of Caroline day?_

I groan, "What are you doing here, Klaus?" I rub my forehead with the back of my hand. _Can vampires get headaches?_ "And what do you mean, 'unless they want to lose their heads'? Elijah's your brother, _goddamnit, just tell me what's going on!_"

"Calm down, love." Klaus says, moving closer and putting his hands on my shoulders. "Just look at me, Caroline, I'll explain." I'm just about to do as he says when I realize the very few reasons _why_ he would care if I were looking at him. I push his arms away, floating a few steps backwards. "_No_! You're lying to me; you were going to compel me, _again_! To what? To forget? Screw that, I want to _know_, Klaus." Anger bubbles inside me, and I whip around, looking for leverage. "Caroline, I don't have the patience to play games right now." Klaus's voice is low, dangerous.

"Neither do I." I murmur, more to myself than him. I come up empty handed in my frantic search for a trump card, and wonder if maybe since Klaus is so evil, I can just goad him into spilling his secrets like the stereotype villain he is. "Why do you want to hurt her, Klaus? And why does it matter if I know?"

He laughs, short and humorless. "Well that's an 'A' for effort, love, but regrettably, I think our time is up here." I expect him to lunge at me, so I quickly grab the lamp from the nightstand and break it, making a makeshift weapon. He simply shakes his head before he vampire speeds over to me. He's quickly behind me, and his voice is in my ears. "You don't want to hurt me, love." _Funny thing is, I really, really do._ I grit my teeth and quickly stab the broken lamp into his left shoulder.

Klaus growls loudly before ripping the shards out of his arm, his face contorted into a snarling mask with orange eyes and sharp teeth. It reminds me of my dream, even more so when I smell the blood trailing out of the wound before it can stitch itself closed. My eyes close briefly as I try to get my sudden hunger out of control. When I open them, again I see that Klaus hasn't moved, and he has the strangest smile on his face, like he's just had a wicked idea.

Elijah's voice sounds, and I jump, almost have forgotten he was here. "Niklaus, enough, just tell her. This was inevitable." He vampire speeds in front of his brother, putting a hand on his shoulder. Klaus's smile breaks as he looks to his Elijah. I'm afraid he's about to hit him or something when Hayley's grating voice sounds once again.

"Fuck this, I'm pregnant, I can't deal with this shit." She announces, getting up to leave. _Pregnant_. I feel like an elephant's sitting on my chest as the only meaning that could have hits me like a ton of bricks. I don't realize I've rushed over to grab Hayley's shirt until she screeches for me to let go. "You're pregnant?" I repeat, dumbly. There's talking going on in the background, but it all sounds so far away, like I'm under water.

_Why would Klaus want to kill her, and why would she be here for that, unless—_I feel like my heart's been ripped open, and lies bleeding in my chest. _He slept with her. He slept with her and he didn't tell me, and he got her knocked up. Is that even possible? I care, why do I care? He wants to kill her. __**She's carrying his child.**_

A strange sort of choking fire burns my body, and I'm suddenly very aware of just how easily I could end this little were-whore's life. I want to. I want it so bad it hurts, and I'm only very vaguely aware that the only reason for that would be that I'm jealous, jealous and angry. I've never felt such anger in my vampire life. I've never imagined there could be that much in me. Especially not for him, not for a monster like Klaus. _Don't kid yourself, Caroline, he's the only person you've _ever_ felt so much for, monster or not._ I don't want to think about that. I don't want to think about anything.

I can hear it, some sort of monster screaming. _Me_. "Is it true?" I shout, and the look of reluctance on both Klaus and Elijah's faces is enough to tell me they know what I mean, and that it is most definitely true. Klaus starts speaking, "Caroline,—" My sanity snaps just as the wolf's neck does.

The silence is deafening. Nobody expected _that_, I didn't expect it myself. My heat shatters when I look down at her lifeless eyes—_monster_—but then it re-forges, into unbreakable, crystalized steel, and I know I'll never feel that betrayed, or that disgusted with myself again.

* * *

_Fuck. What the fuck is going on?_

Caroline is standing over the body of the wolf-girl. Dead. Caroline killed her. _Caroline_ killed her. My Caroline. _If this is a dream, I'd like to wake up, right bloody now._

But it can't be, because I don't dream, not anymore.

I don't really care that she's dead. There is a small part of me that aches at the possibilities lost, but that's all. It's a great weight off my shoulders, actually. Now I don't have to do it myself. No, what I'm concerned with is the look in Caroline's eyes. She's too sweet to handle this kind of thing and walk away, humanity in hand.

She smiles, slow and emotionless. "Oops." She giggles, sounding so very much like the Caroline she was minutes ago, but I know it's not true. The real Caroline is buried now, and I don't know for how long. "I guess you're not gonna be a dad after all, Klaus." Elijah has rushed over to the body and is murmuring things in a lost language that I'm choosing to ignore. If he tries to kill Caroline for this, I'm not sure what I can do to restrain him until I retrieve another dagger.

Caroline walks over to me, looking over her shoulder at Elijah, and raising an eyebrow. She shrugs and turns back to me. "I feel much better now." She says, nodding to herself. It's my turn to raise an eyebrow. "I do believe better is a term reserved for positive things, love, not nonexistent ones." She smiles.

I see my brother getting up behind her. "You should go, sweetheart. We'll talk about this later; I think Elijah would like a word." Caroline looks as if she's going to refuse, but then her eyes darken slightly. "I could use a snack, actually. Have fun with that." She says, grinning cheekily, gesturing with a nod of her blond head to Elijah. I see him considering going after him as she rushes past, but he deflates with a melancholic sigh and instead sits down on the edge of the bed.

"Is our family not allowed even one happiness? Are we really so damned?" Elijah is starring at Hayley's dead body. It's ironic, how much he cared for the girl, and how little I, the father of her unborn child did. Not that that's what he's upset about, not truly. It's the idea, of what could have been, since he'd made it up in his mind that this child would pull what's left of our family back together, make us whole again. He's too noble to see that somethings are just broken for good.

"I'm surprised you're not going after her." I remark, quite honestly confused.

"What good would it do, Niklaus?" He replies, looking to me. "If I _did_ manage to kill the girl, under your protection, you would never forgive me, and we'd be even less of a family than we are now."

"You're right, I wouldn't forgive you. Not in a million years." I don't think it's an exaggeration in the slightest. I gesture to the body. "River or ground?"

Elijah sighs, "I'll bury it, just go, brother. Make sure Caroline doesn't kill any more people today."

I nod, feeling unexpectedly at a loss for words. I feel like I should say something to him. He should be yelling at me, going after Caroline, doing _something _horrible. Anything so that I don't feel like I should comfort him.

I take out my phone and head off to find Caroline.

**AN: I liked writing this one a lot, sorry if anyone's turned 'off' on the off switch cause of the whole thing with Elena, I just thought it would be fun to show sweet, bubbly Caroline sans humanity, but I'm not planning on dragging it out terribly long.**

**How was her death? Gruesome enough? _I_ don't think so, but I suck at action scenes, so this is what I managed. I like the psychological pizzazz.**

**I'm thinking about bringing Kol back from the dead to be her humanity-less companion. Could I possibly get some thoughts on that? Please. I'll love you forever-Midden.**


	7. Chapter 7- The Sharpest Lives

**VII. The Sharpest Lives**

_There's a place in the dark where the animals go_

_You can take off your skin in the cannibal glow_

_Juliet loves the beat and the lust it commands_

_Drop the dagger and lather the blood on your hands, Romeo_

'Do it, right now, or I'll kill you, and everyone you've ever met.'

_Still up to your old tricks, brother?_

I'm disappointed, really. Using a witch to bring me back, because _Elijah_ might turn on him? He's more paranoid than ever. No horrible thing Niklaus has ever done meant anything to Elijah in the shadow of his family. I haven't been around any of them for months, and I still know that.

Maybe he's just looking for an excuse. Perhaps Nik has gotten lonely now that his little blonde treat doesn't care to sit around and twiddle her thumbs at casa Mikaelson. Losing your humanity can make one a bit…restless. _I do wonder how that came about._ Bizarre how he's taken such a liking to such an ordinary girl…granted, she _is_ a pretty little thing.

"Kol Mikaelson." The voice is directed at me. _I thought we were done with this summoning business._ "Yes, I'm here, get on with it already." I shout in the witch's general direction, spreading my arms wide. _I don't want to be here_. But I am. Because Niklaus is too stubborn to not get what he wants. The witch's voice sounds again, not aloud this time, but in my head. '_He's going to kill me anyway, isn't he?'_

I nod, unable to push down the poisonous seeping of regret I already feel for this witch's life, though it's out of my control. I shove my hands into my pockets. "_But_-He won't kill everyone you've ever met if you do it, just you." She nods. _I would stop him if I could._ I offer, but I know she's not listening. She has something in her hands, a watch, I think, that must have been mine. The witch chants, speaking loudly in an ancient language. The candles lined up on tombstones all around us flare up and down in tandem with a beat that grows in the air.

Suddenly I feel very warm. It's an uncomfortable feeling, one that I haven't felt in centuries. It's the warmth of life. A roaring sounds in my ears and the pain kicks in, sharp pinpricks all across my body as if every pain receptor in my body were firing at once. I clench my fists in my pockets-_I'll be damned if the first time Nik sees me is moaning in pain on the ground._ Very gradually my body feels weighed down to this earth, and I hear the witch's chanting slow. _Could I save her?_ Nik is standing right behind her, at the ready to snap her neck as soon as he sees me in the flesh. _No, I suppose I can't._

Finally I feel grounded again, I feel _alive_. I look up to my brother's face and his eyes widen. _He can see me again._ I turn my head to the witch, and I speak very quickly, so that I can at least get it out before she drops dead at Niklaus's hands, a murmur of my thanks.

There is a sickening rip and her body slumps to the floor. "It's good to see you again, Kol." Nik's accented voice rings cheerily.

"Wish I could say the same, brother." I reply, my eyes on the dead witch on the ground between us, blood pooling on the floor where Niklaus has ripped out her heart. "Isn't that a bit dramatic for your taste?" I mutter, uncomfortable with this being the first reacquainting with blood now that I'm back from the dead. He shrugs, "I was feeling a bit peckish." Nik brings the disengaged heart to his lips and I promptly throw out my leg, catching his hand and causing the organ to go flying.

"Come off it, Kol!" He shouts, angry, "Would it kill you to be a bit bloody grateful? I just brought you back into the realm of the living, for Christ's sake."

I stalk up to him and growl, "Well I didn't have any choice in that, did I?" I lean back, narrowing my eyes, "You think I wanted this?" I say, spreading my arms. "You can't just get everything you want, Niklaus, dead things are meant to _stay_ dead!"

The bugger actually _grins_ at this. "And yet here you are."

_Yes, here I am._

* * *

"I'll admit, I've missed this place." I sigh, throwing myself on the long couch of the sitting room. "It does have a certain charm." Nik agrees, looking around, eyes settling on a spot above the back of the house. _That must be where she sleeps_, I decide. The girl. Caroline Forbes of Mystic Falls. The owner of my brother's rotting heart.

"How did it happen?" I ask, nodding toward where his eyes have drifted. A frown blooms across Nik's face. "Her humanity." I clarify. I've only gathered so much information in the short time I spent observing: Caroline has inexplicably agreed to move in with Klaus (though they sleep in different rooms), Niklaus has—likely unfounded—suspicions about Elijah's loyalty, and the blonde has turned flicked the switch, for reason's I'm not aware of yet. Then there are the obvious things, the Quarter is run by Marcel, and Nik likely is finding a way to take back what is Mikaelson's by right.

He smiles, "Ah, _that_ is a bit of a long story, little brother."

* * *

"A _child_. You have a child?"

He shakes his head, "I _would_ have, but little Caroline got a bit—_temperamental_. It was rather touching, really."

"How long ago did this all happen?"

A shrug, "A few weeks ago…" Nik avoids my eyes, "I would've thought you'd be keeping tabs on the family." He says pointedly.

"Not much of a family left, I'm afraid." I remark, "If I wanted to watch children fight, I could just watch the program on the telly with the awful parenting and blinding dresses."

"You've watched television, Kol?" He smirks.

"Not much to do on the other side, brother." I murmur. _It's maddening. The boredom, the anger, the silence... _I shudder inwardly and decide that perhaps I am grateful after all.

Nik nods and tosses me an ugly red blood bag. I catch it and raise an eyebrow at him. "Caroline's—when she first arrived, anyway." He says, as explanation. "I imagine you're parched, and I'm not through yet."

At his words, I realize that I am _famished_, though it does not make the idea of slurping down this refrigerated swill any more appetizing. "I can wait." I chuckle, throwing it back at him.

"Suit yourself." He shrugs, placing it back in the icebox.

"Let's get straight to it then, what's the real reason I'm here?" I ask, standing up to have a look around. _He can't really think he's in any danger from Elijah anymore. _Niklaus's eyes drift over to the staircase.

"That would be _me_." The voice of Caroline Forbes floats down from the upper level of the house, entering from the balcony of the second floor. She settles down in front of us. "See, Klaus doesn't have the spare time on his hands—what with plotting one of his only _real_ friend's downfalls and all—to ensure that I don't cause a supernatural scene, go buck wild on too many tourists, or, god forbid, one of Marcel's men." She says, with mock horror. "That about right?" She chirps, the question directed at my brother.

Nik raises an eyebrow, grinning like a shark, "Carful, love, you almost sound bitter. Wouldn't want to let any of those pesky emotions back in, would we?" _He wants her to._ It's so painfully clear it's almost nauseating. For whatever reason, Niklaus, of all people wants this girl to feel human again.

Caroline smiles, practiced, eyes as blank as a Ripper's "Don't worry about that Klaus, I don't give a shit about anything, including you, and your little plans to rule the world."

A little chuckle finds its way to my lips and Niklaus's eyes shoot daggers at me. "Relax, brother," I exclaim, walking over to him and giving his shoulder a light shake. "Even the emotionless need a bit of fun. A rise out of you is exactly what she was looking for."

I see Caroline glaring at me in my peripheral vision and give her a little wink. "_But_," I start, "I am not a babysitter, Niklaus. If what she's saying is true I'll have no part in it."

"You'll take part in whatever I want you to take part in, Kol. This isn't just about me, this was _our_ home, and Marcel has taken it from us. I want it back, don't you?" _I do_. New Orleans has always held a special place in my heart. There's culture here, something that's rare in the modern world. But there's no reason to get any of it back without family. The _whole_ family.

"Get Rebekah here."

"What?"

"Darling brother, convince Rebekah to come to New Orleans, and I'll _help_ you." There's a moment of consideration on Nik's face. He doesn't like being told what to do, and he certainly doesn't like giving people what they want.

"Fine. I'm sure the news of your re-arrival will be reason enough." Klaus fishes his phone out of his pocket and starts walking away. "Doubt that, big brother." I call over my shoulder.

I turn my eyes on the blonde who's been looking jadedly at her nails for the entirety of this exchange. "Why you've taken up with each other, I'll never know." I remark, letting my eyes wander over her lithe frame. _Not entirely true, I suppose._ Even in her emotionless state, I can see the kindness in her face, there's a lamb-like innocence there, deceptively heartbreaking in its sincerity. _A lamb up for the slaughter._ Her glossy, green eyes flash to mine, then to the doorway Nik left through. She shrugs, "Maybe murderous psychopaths are just a turn on for me."

_Is that so?_ "In that case, maybe I can regale you with tales from the 18th century. I was quite the vicious git." I smirk, getting up to move closer to her. I approach, stepping close enough so that I'm only inches away from her face. She doesn't move a muscle. "Not anymore?" She murmurs.

"No…eventually the screams are no longer satisfying, just annoying." I brush the hair off one of her shoulders. "It takes more and more blood to reach that nirvana, and ultimately the effort just doesn't seem worth it." Hearing myself speak the words aloud makes me wonder if I still wholly feel that way. Thinking back on the carnage brings the hunger I've been ignoring back with full force.

"Someone's hungry." Caroline's finger trails across my lower lids, tracing the veins there. "I'm not sure that I believe you." She taunts.

"Tell me, darling," I say, deciding to ignore her comment, "where's the most crowded club in the Quarter?"

She smiles.

_Maybe babysitting wouldn't be so bad after all._

* * *

**AN: Oh my lord, 90 followers? Y'all are crazy, and I love every single one of you glorious bastards _so_**** much :') You make this story possible by inspiring me to write more.**

**Sorry this whole chapter was in Kol POV, but I'm not sure how much I'll be writing in Caroline's POV while she's humanity-less, cause it'd be kinda dull most of the time. I like writing as him, it's fun. I'm not sure how I did though. With Kol there's not a whole lot to go off on-s****ince he was idiotically killed off the show-****except that he's famously dangerous, unpredictable, and fond of witches. Oh, and sexy... (Though, no where near as hot as Klaus)**

**Tell me how I did, pretty please?**

**Edit: Also, tell me what 'too far' with Kol and Caroline is? Given her state, I can't promise anything, but I know how sensitive people are about their ships. Oooh, I've always wanted to write a threesome. I might be crazy.**


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